The Bucks could have pursued Peyton Watson more aggressively in the offseason, but they're probably thankful they didn't right about now. Not only has Watson struggled so far in his new home with the Cavaliers, but he's already missed two games with the same hamstring issues that plagued him last season. The Bucks have their own troubles, but they wouldn't want to add recurring injuries on top of that.
Milwaukee didn't want any injury concerns
Sure, the Bucks have made plenty of mistakes when it comes to filling out their wing positions. But passing on Watson doesn't look like one yet. In general, his production this season has been mediocre. But the addition of injuries would have been a terrible twist for the Bucks.
The Bucks should be doing everything they can right now to put young talent in thriving positions. That includes building rhythm and consistency among their young core by letting them play enough games and possessions together. An injury to a starring member of that core can mess up the whole chemistry, especially if it becomes a recurring issue.
Watson largely missed the last two months of last season with a hamstring issue. He was in the midst of a breakout campaign, including averaging 20 points per game for an entire month stretch prior to the injury. If the Bucks had traded for him, they would've liked to see if he could showcase that scoring over a larger sample size. Any injuries along the way would've derailed their ability to gather enough information on Watson before committing to a direction for their rebuild.
The Bucks should be happy with what they have
Ultimately, the trading price for Watson was too much for the Bucks to match. The Cavaliers gave up a starter in Max Strus and a future first-round pick, which would have been a disastrous package for the Bucks to trade. They should be trying to add more draft capital rather than give it up for an unproven player.
So far, the Bucks haven't had any notable injuries this season. The NBA as a whole has been peppered with injuries to players of all different magnitudes, but Milwaukee has largely avoided them. Although the stretch of good health hasn't brought many wins to the Bucks, it has at least allowed them to evaluate their new talent in an honest way.
The Bucks had so much turnover on their roster through their trade of Giannis Antetokounmpo that they needed good health just to see how all their new players actually operate. That's helped them gain more consistency in their rotations and improve the trade value of veterans who might be on their way out.
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